Chevrolet Repair: chevy astro van hatch stuck, chevy astro van, chevy astro

Question
my wife's '98 astro van has 3 rear doors.  Two open outwards and the hatch lifts up. You cannot open the 2 without opening the hatch first. The locking mechanism is stuck closed on the left side of the hatch, whereas the right side will unlock.  The exterior handle consists of a pushbutton lock with a non-movable lift handle.  There's no way to open the door from inside, and the trim panel doesn't appear to be able to be removed with the door closed.  How do I pop the lock so I can access the cargo area of the van?  

Answer
Hi Steve,

There must be a way to separate the trim from the door shell, enough to get your hand inside to trip the lock mechanism.  Look for an emergency cable you can pull.  If there is one, it will be behind the trim.  

I will do some more research on this question and let you know if I am able to find anything out about it.  

Sorry I could give you more right now.

C J S